Novel states of pre-transition edge turbulence emerging from shearing mode competition

Abstract

Recent experiments have noted the coexistence of multiple shearing fields in edge turbulence, and have observed that the shearing population ratios evolve as the L–H transition is approached. A novel model including zonal flows (ZFs), geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) and turbulence as a zero-dimensional self-consistent two predator–one prey system with multiple frequency shearings is proposed. ZF with finite frequency (i.e. GAM) can have different shearing dynamics from that with zero frequency, because of the finite shearing field autocorrelation times. Decomposing the broadband ZF spectrum into the two populations enables us to assign different shearing weights to the components of the shearing field. We define states with no ZF and GAM as an L-mode-like state, that with ZF and without GAM as an ZF-only state, with GAM and without ZF as a GAM-only state and both with ZF and GAM as the coexistence state. To resolve the origins of multiple shear coexistence, mode-competition effects are introduced. These originate from higher order perturbation of wave populations. The model exhibits a sequence of transitions between various states as the net driving flux increases. For some parameters, bistability of ZF and GAM is evident, which predicts hysteretic behaviour in the turbulence intensity field during power ramp up/down studies. The presence of noise due to ambient turbulence offers a mechanism to explain the bursts and pulsations observed in the turbulence field prior to the L–H transition.